Fresh Mint, 3.5 stars

It is useless for the sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion.
— William Ralph Inge

It's a cold-hearted observation, but surely true. Like the sheep, principled believers can muster plenty of solid arguments to support the virtues of vegetarian eating, from respecting other forms of life and saving the rain forests to promoting good health and reducing bovine methane emissions.

But as long as most of the planet refuses to sign on, vegetarianism will remain an expression of personal belief, and not a social imperative or a universal moral command.

So what's the easiest way to make the world's skeptical wolves conscious of the benefits of a vegetarian diet? It isn't by playing up ethics, the environment or the holiness of our bodily temple. It's by preparing vegetarian fare that tastes good.

From that perspective, new Fresh Mint in Scottsdale does more for the cause than pious declarations or righteous scoldings ever will. Order right, and you may just walk out of here thinking that meat-free Asian dining is not nearly as much of a sacrifice as you feared.

Fresh Mint is the work of chef/owner Mai Ly, who with her husband operated similar concepts in Maui for 28 years. An ethnic-Chinese Vietnamese, Ly knows her way around the Southeast Asian kitchen. Almost everything here is clean, light and flavorful, gentle on the salt and sugar, high on the scents of Asian seasonings like citrus, lemongrass, mint and ginger. Indeed, some dishes transcend the good-for-a-vegetarian-restaurant category and compete at regular Asian restaurant levels.

That's certainly true of the salads ($7.95), especially the green papaya, which harmoniously balances the yin of crunch and the yang of nuanced flavors. Green papaya, cabbage, carrot, tofu and surprisingly decent "beef" fashioned out of marinated soy protein are tossed in a basil-brightened tamarind sauce, then topped with crushed peanuts. If you are looking for a zesty summer salad, your search has ended.

Two other salads are almost as fetching: one put together with crisp lotus shoots, cucumber, carrot and tofu in a tart lemon vinegar dressing; the other a mix of chilled green beans, carrot and cucumber goosed up with mint.

Soups here must overcome two almost insuperable disadvantages. First, the calendar: Eating a steaming bowl of soup in August makes about as much sense as quenching your thirst with a peanut butter sandwich. Second, vegetarian ground rules: There is simply no way to replicate the meaty underpinnings of the best broths, no matter how expertly they're seasoned.

Nevertheless, Fresh Mint's soups (large, $7.95) are simply too good to ignore. It's hard to dwell on the absence of beef in the well-stocked Vietnamese pho because everything else about it is so nicely fashioned, from the five-spice scent to the rice noodles, soy beef and tofu. Squeeze in some lime, throw in some basil, add a dollop of hoisin sauce and chile paste, and you've got a wildly aromatic meal in a bowl. Meanwhile, the fragrant lemongrass noodle soup sports a potent chile kick, and the sweet-and-sour soup showcases a delicate tamarind broth floating with pineapple, tofu, celery and tomato.

The worst you can say about any of the main dishes is that they're dull. The best you can say about them is an enthusiastic, "Who cares if they're vegetarian?"

Lemongrass eggplant ($10.95) - big hunks of Japanese eggplant sauteed with lemongrass and bathed in coconut curry - belongs at the top of the "Who cares?" list. The most inventive dish here is the stuffed tomato handsomely filled with mushrooms, carrots, onion, tofu and bean thread, baked to a crispy sheen and drizzled with a lively sesame ginger sauce ($11.95). I'm genetically wired to be favorably disposed towards any hot pot dish with lots of rice crusted on the bottom and sides ($13.95), even if the only other ingredients are vegetables. And judging from my group's dueling spoons, I'm apparently not the only one. And while I'm certainly not genetically wired to find happiness in a curried apple tofu dish with pine nuts and raisins ($13.95), this one somehow pressed the right buttons.

Astonishingly, the vegetarian citrus "spare rib" ($13.95) didn't come off as a hopeless misfire. No reasonable person can claim that textured soy protein can pass for spare ribs. But a sparkling citrus ginger sauce almost made the thought plausible. However, a garlicky brown sauce couldn't redeem the off-putting kung pao "chicken" ($13.95). And I couldn't whip up much enthusiasm for golden curry vegetables ($10.95), chunks of potato, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli and tofu that seem a little too intent on being "good for you."

A bonus: Main dishes come either with jasmine or brown rice, and a properly steamed mix of vegetables.

The one disappointing menu section: noodles. Pad Thai ($9.95) just can't cut it without shrimp, chicken and fish sauce. And boring stir-fried noodles with vegetables ($9.95) will delight only those who believe eating something that inspires no pleasure is its own reward.

Skip the appetizers ($5.95) - summer rolls and egg rolls get the meal off to a ho-hum start. But desserts like banana fritters ($3.95) and mango coconut tapioca pudding ($4.95) bring the meal to a sweet conclusion. And so does the fabulous Vietnamese iced coffee ($3.95), one of the world's great beverages.

It's easy to like Fresh Mint even before the food arrives. Set in a corner storefront in big retail lot (next to a weight-loss center), it's a cheery place, with electric green walls and non-stop '60s background music. Tablecloths and cloth napkins supply a touch of class. The staff is just as cheery as the surroundings, although this mom-and-pop operation can get backed up when too many customers show up at once.

So sing along with the Monkees and mellow out. Sometimes you have to stop and smell the textured soy protein.